Is Surface Tablet An Enterprise-Friendly Device?

Since the launch of the Microsoft Surface tablet there have been a lot of discussions whether it will be able to win the heart of the consumer. And if it is so then will it be able to be used professionally at workplaces – replacing PCs?

Trend Of BYOD

The emerging trend of BYOD (Bring Your Own device) in the IT sector is increasing the use of tablets in the workstation. This BYOD trend has its own advantages and disadvantages for the companies.

Benefits Of BYOD

Companies either leave this as an option or make it mandatory for the employees to bring their own devices at the workstation. This helps companies save a huge amount of money from being spent on hardware.

Disadvantages Of BYOD

Well, despite the fact that they save money, there are many disadvantages of embracing BYOD. One of the major problem is that the company loses control over the hardware being used to do the company work. Also if the employee goes on a vacation while the data is on his / her laptop or tablet then it becomes hectic goal to access the data.

Is Microsoft Surface Capable Of Being Used In Enterprise?

Microsoft launched two versions of its tablet; One is running Windows RT and the other one is on Windows 8 Pro. Surface with Windows 8 Pro is the real deal as it comes with the full fledge operating system and nice hardware specs.

1. USB Ports

USB ports that iPads are missing is an essential hardware requirement for machines working for organizations. Surface with Windows 8 Pro comes with two USB 3.0 ports.

2. Keyboard Advantage

An on-screen keyboard can’t compete with the speed, reliability and efficiency of a physical keyboard. Surface comes with Touch Cover. This Touch Cover is also faster than a normal keyboard. According to Microsoft an average keyboard detects a keystrokes in 8 milliseconds and Touch Cover is capable of detecting keystrokes in 2 milliseconds. This makes Surface reliable for working environment.

3. HDMI Ports

HDMI ports seem a functionality added for home users but there can be many uses in a company. You can connect it to a bigger screen, that also have an HDMI port, and display your presentation on a bigger screen.

4. Microsoft Office

Yes! The Surface will come with MS Office installed. This will be a great feature for companies that are dependent on Microsoft office for their document processing. Employees can switch to the Surface tablet without the need of any additional skills for document processing.

Why Enterprise Will Replace Their Employees Laptops With Surface Tablet?

The main factor which tends us to say that it will replace the laptops is that it is more portable than a laptop, weighs much less, have nearly same specs and is capable of doing anything that a laptop can do.

Other Tablets Capable Of Being Used At Workplace

Besides Surface there are other tablets too that can be used at the workstations. These includes iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab and Amazon Kindle.

1. iPad

iPad is a nice tablet with a good look but lacking USB port. The thing which gives iPad an edge is that it has millions of apps. Some of these apps are quite handy at workstations. We can have a keyboard for iPad from Apple store.

2. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (Galaxy Tab 2)

Samsung Galaxy running Google’s Android mobile operating system have 7 inch display. Android app store is expanding day by day and there many apps that can be used at office. Samsung do sell a keyboard for Galaxy Tab as a separate accessory.

In the last I would say that Microsoft Surface with Windows 8 pro is capable of replacing laptops of organizations with tablets. Its high specs, keyboard, portability, USB ports and a full fledge operating system make it as productive as a desktop PC is.

Omar Tariq Jutt is a professional tech blogger with a lot of experience in writing Tech articles. He is a Ubuntu user and keeps a sharp eye on tech updates. Currently he is studying software engineering and sees his future as a web entrepreneur.